Former CIA official: ‘Mastermind of 9/11 attacks designed vacuum cleaner in prison’

A recent courtroom sketch of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed at Guantanamo Bay. The alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks will be standing trial for his crimes (Picture: AP)

The alleged mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks designed a vacuum cleaner while in prison, an ex-CIA official has said.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is now at Guantanamo Bay, was given permission to embark on the project to keep his mind occupied.

CIA officials were concerned that if he did not have a way to keep his mind stimulated, he would be unable to help with counter-terrorism investigations. There were also worries that he would be declared unfit to stand trial.

Mohammed had endured harsh interrogations while detained at secret prisons in Poland and Romania.

On one occasion, he was forced to stay awake for more than a week. Records show he also endured waterboarding more than 180 times.

The alleged terrorist, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, created blueprints for the appliance by using diagrams from the internet.

The CIA’s efforts to undo the psychological damage they inflicted on Mohammed seems to have worked, as he is reportedly in good health.

However, other al-Qaeda terrorists who have been placed in solitary confinement by the CIA have often developed depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia.

Mohammed was often given tests about how well he knew al-Qaeda, the former official revealed, in the hope that the intelligence agency would learn key facts about the terror group. When an assignment was completed, he was given Snickers bars as a reward.

Some attempts by the CIA to keep the minds of inmates active have encountered challenges, though. In the past, detainees have been given books to read, with Mohammed fond of Harry Potter.

But after a prisoner was caught sending messages to other inmates by leaving notes in the pages, guards had to begin checking every page to prevent communication.

The former CIA official, who cannot be named, is unsure whether Mohammed’s vacuum designs are still in existence. Some media outlets have tried to get blueprints under the Freedom of Information Act, but their requests have been denied.